Apprentice star is not bitter

As fashion conscious Paula Jones nervously tosses back her fiery auburn curls she makes a confession.

"I do feel quite jittery in front of the camera – on The Apprentice the camera men and sound people travelled everywhere with us," she says.

"They became like friends and so you get used to having the cameras around you all the time."

Paula, who was booted off BBC's The Apprentice three weeks ago, actually left the pre-recorded show in October and says she, like everyone else, is waiting to find out who won. Growing up on Wolverhampton Road in Pelsall, Paula, aged 29, says she enjoyed taking part in competitions at infant school.

"I was a real free spirit and tearaway at school who always wanted to do my own thing," says Paula who was at Pelsall Infant and Junior School and Shelfield Community Academy, before attending Keele University and Wolverhampton Business School.

"I won a few school competitions and had lots of extra-curricular activities going on – but I was never into business until I went to university.

"The Apprentice wasn't something I sought out. I received an email from Wolverhampton Business School saying they were looking for people to take part.

"I had watched the programmes and shouted at the TV – everyone thinks that they can do better than the contestants."

Paula, who works as acting senior development consultant in the human resources department at Walsall Council, was a four-star sergeant in the army cadets at 18 and represented the army at county level in shooting.

She says her parents Rita and David and her brother Philip have all been very supportive during her time on the show.

"Even with the contestants I despised I had to take my hat off to them because the interview was harrowing on every level," she says.

"It included writing your own political manifesto and see a psychologist. The only person who was aware that I was trying to get on The Apprentice was my mum and as soon as I knew I had been successful she wanted to tell everyone. I'm really close to my mum – she is really funny but she is not like me, she is very adverse to risk."

Paula says she is not bitter about anything regarding the other contestants because she believes people behave differently in the board room to how they do in real life.

But she says: "One thing I was bitter about was the editing as I didn't feature much in the first three programmes, probably because I didn't say anything bitchy or outrageous. People are probably left in for a reason other than their business acumen."

Paula says being on The Apprentice was a great experience.

"My firing was good and Sir Alan found it quite difficult to let me go as he didn't have a go at me personally," she says. "Being fired was totally unexpected. Sir Alan is how he appears to be on television although he is shorter than you would think.

"With Sir Alan you speak when you are spoken to and he is quite formidable, but then he is worth £800 million.

"My favourite task was the sandwich one as we had a laugh and ended up winning – our treat was to play polo and that was something I had always wanted to do."

Paula says she plans to stay at Walsall Council for the time being although she is setting up an interior decor business called A Few of My Favourite Things and a management consultancy called Chameleon. "Coming from a HR background if it was down to me I would pick Yasmina to win The Apprentice as she is exceptionally level headed and a likable person," says Paula

"You have to be yourself on camera because you cannot pretend for 24 hours a day. Having done the show has built up my confidence.

"Nural was frightened to be himself so he shut down and didn't say anything while Ben is all about braces, socks and one-liners.

"I went on The Apprentice because I felt my life, both professionally and personally, needed a change. But one thing The Apprentice hasn't brought me is a love – I'm still waiting for a boyfriend to come along."